Gus throws up his hands. “Fine! If you want to go with them, go with them. But keep an ear to the winds and don’t come back until you hear the all clear.”
“I will,” Solana promises.
“And call Dad and tell him to come home from work now,” I tell my mom.
She nods and smothers me with a hug. “And you be careful. Do you have your phone? Can you text me when you get there safe?”
“I’m pretty sure I won’t get cell service where I’m going,” I tell her, hugging her tighter.
I don’t even carry my phone with me anymore. I don’t have anyone who calls me. I’ve cut off my friends, and the Gales aren’t exactly big on technology.
“Are we done wasting time?” Gus asks.
I let my mom go. “For now.”
“Good. Then tell me where we’re going.”
“Why? Aren’t you the expert at following me?”
I coil a few Easterlies around me and launch into the sky before he can respond.
Gus catches up a few seconds later and we head east. But every few miles I notice Gus glancing north.
I don’t see any sign of the storm. The sky is clear and the clouds are feathery and the winds feel steady and normal. If Gus didn’t have Feng’s blood on his hand, I never would’ve thought there was any danger.
“So . . . how do you know Feng?” I ask, remembering Gus’s earlier tear.
He’s quiet for so long I wonder if he heard me. Then he says, “He’s my father.”
Whoa—how did I not know that?
“I’m sorry,” I mumble, hating how lame it sounds. “I didn’t realize.”
“That’s because I look like my mother. She was the pretty one.”
He forces a grin, flashing perfect dimples. I want to smile back, but I can’t help noticing that he used the word “was.”
“And your mom, she’s . . .”
“She was Solana’s guardian.”
Oh.
Oh.
Well . . . that explains why he reacted so strongly to her mentioning that attack.
“So that’s what you meant about your families having a history?”
“Yeah. My mom sorta left us when she took the role as Solana’s guardian. Feng had begged her not to. He knew Solana’s last guardian had been killed and that it was only a matter of time before the Stormers tracked Solana down again. But that’s what my mom wanted. She was angry and she wanted to do something big.” He sighs. “I guess it doesn’t make much sense unless I give you the whole tragic history. You ready for it?”
I nod—stunned at how little I know about Gus. He seems like such an easygoing guy—but I guess I should’ve figured he had some darker crap. Why else would he be a guardian so young?
“My mom was ambushed by a Stormer when she was eight months pregnant with my sister. He left her alive, but the baby . . .” He clears his throat. “The worst part was, my mom wasn’t even a guardian. Feng was, and he’d just won a big fight against Raiden—one of the only victories the Gales have ever had. And apparently, if you make Raiden look weak, he comes after you personally.”
He’s quiet for a minute and I struggle to figure out something to say. I mean, I thought what happened to my family was tough but . . .
“Anyway,” he says, “not surprisingly, my mom never got over it. All she wanted was revenge. She joined the Gales, signed up for every risky assignment she could. She actually volunteered to protect you, but the Gales went with Audra. So a few weeks later, when Solana needed a new guardian, my mom jumped all over it. By then I’d already enlisted in the Gales, so she left me there with Feng, promising us she’d be careful. But she only lasted two years before the Stormers caught up with them.” He glances to the north again. “Feng never got over it.”
Listening to him talk makes me realize why I never guessed the connection—besides how different they look. “Your dad doesn’t mind that you call him Feng?”
“Actually, it was his idea. After what happened to my mom, he wanted to make it as hard as possible for Raiden to know who his family was.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
I watch him glance north for the dozenth time and realize what he must be thinking. “You should be with the Gales right now.”
“I should be following my orders.”
“That’s dumb. You did your job. You told me where to go and I’m going there—I don’t need a babysitter for the rest. Go help your dad.”
Gus looks tempted, but he shakes his head. “The Gales had a reason for not bringing me with them.”
“Yeah, and your dad had a reason for sending his message to you.”
Gus stares at the dried blood on his thumb. Then he wipes it away on his pants. “He sent it to me so I could protect you.”
“Ugh—I’m so sick of that.”
I don’t want to be the useless weakling everyone has to protect.
I’m the last freaking Westerly.
I should be out there leading the charge.
Isn’t that what they’ve been training me for?